Double acting buffer air cylinder



July 12, 1966 A. L. ALBERS DOUBLE ACTING BUFFER AIR CYLINDER Filed Feb.5, 1964 BY M ,477WZ/ E Y5 R a m 5 m w 4 L w a A Q 5 mm United StatesPatent f 3,260,515 DOUBLE ACTING BUFFER AIR CYLINDER Archie L. Albers,Yuba City, Calif. (6456 Larry Way, North Highlands, Calif.) Filed Feb.3, 1964, Ser. No. 342,136 2 Claims. (Cl. 2671) This invention relates toa new and improved double acting atmospheric buffer air cylinder means,and more particularly to a cooperating non-vibrating shock restrainingmeans for cooperating in parallel arrangement with the reciprocatingmovements of a double-acting compressed air actuated cylinder means forvarious applications of use of the compressed air actuated cylinder.

In the past it has been difiicult to obtain a positive, smooth and evenoperation of a pressure operated air cylinder without jerky, hunting andvibration movements and still not too severely restrain the requiredmovements of the pressure operated air cylinder mechanisms to preventefficient operation of the energized air cylinder.

The instant invention solves the above problems by providing a reliable,economical, simple and uniformly operating atmospheric actuated bufferair cylinder connected in parallel with a reciprocating mechanism whichwill cooperatively allow smooth operation of such mechanism as aco-acting compressed air actuated double-acting air cylinder which maybe so used as an energizing means to operate a radial actuated cut-offsaw or a 'horizontally reciprocating cut-off saw carriage as in mycopending applications entitled Lumber Measuring Conveyor Table andRadially Actuated Cut-Off Saw Combination and Lumber Measuring ConveyorTable and Traveling Carriage Cut-Off Saw Combination filed on an evendate herewith.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a new bufferatmospheric actuated double-acting air cylinder similar to a dash-pot orshock absorber restraining means which will allow a smooth and positivereciprocating movement of a compressed air cylinder used as a primemover or energizing means for actuating a radial arm or reciprocatingcarriage device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedatmospheric actuated buffer cylinder which may be used as a smooth anddampening restraining force for all reciprocating movements of thepiston of the air actuated cylinder without impairing the operationsthereof.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an atmosphericactuated double-acting selected buffer or smooth restraining cylindermeans which is simple of construction, requires no energy for operationthereof, has a minimum of parts and is easy to manufacture.

Other objects and many attendant advantages of the instant inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cylinder, associatedpiston and piston rod means of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG- URE 1, taken onlines 22 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the valve means ofFIGURE 2 taken on lines 33 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of FIGURE 3 taken on lines 44 in thedirection of the arrows.

Referring more specifically to the drawings in which like referencenumerals designate like parts, FIGURES 1, 2, 3, and 4 show a preferredembodiment of the in- Patented July 12, 1966 vention which, in general,is comprised of cylinder means 10, piston means 12, piston rod means 14,and valve means 16 and 16a. Valve means 16 and 16a serve as doubleacting atmospheric relief intake and exhaust valve means for the desiredbuffer action of piston means 12.

Cylinder means 10 is comprised of closed end means 18 welded or suitablyattached to bracket means 20 containing aperture means 22 therein;opposite end portion 24 centrally containing aperture means 26, O-ringrecess means 28, O-ring sealing means 30 sealably surrounding piston rodmeans 14 and circumferential thread means 32 thereon to comate with likethread means in cylinder wall means 34 for assembly and servicing ofsaid bufier cylinder means. Threaded aperture means 36 in cylinder wallmeans 34 is adapted to receive valve means 16 or 16a therein. Cylinderwall means 34 may contain selective small aperture air control means 38therein, as best seen in FIGURE 1.

Piston means 12 is comprised of flexible reversed cup members 40 mountedon the internal end 42 of piston rod means 14 and fixed secured togetherby washer means 43 and threaded nut means 44 threadably secured tointernal end 42 of piston rod means 14.

Piston rod means 14 is comprised of an internal end means 42 adapted toreceive threaded nut means 44, distal end means 46 adapted to receivethreaded nut means 48 and an intermediate smooth portion 50 operablycooperating in scalable relationship with aperture means 28 and O-ringmeans 30.

Air valve means 16 and 16a are comprised of cap enclosure means 62, ballmeans 68 and body means 51 having an intermediate body portion 52adapted to receive a wrench means for servicing inner and outer end bodyportions 54 and 56 having thread means 58 and 60, respectively thereon.Thread means 58 is adapted to be received in threaded aperture 36 ofcylinder wall means 34.

Cap enclosure means 62 comprises internal thread means 64 adapted tocomate with like thread means 60 on body portion 56, and aperture means66 in cap means 62 to coact with internal ball means 68.

0uter body portion 56 has a seating aperture means 70 and slot aperturemeans 72 therein joining outer aperture means 74 of end portion 56 andinner aperture means 76 of inner end portion 54 of body means 51.

Aperture means 66 has an inner seating means 67 adapted to coact withball means 68 when raised by air compressed thereagainst by piston means12.

During use, bracket means 20 and end means 46 are connected in parallelreacting relationship alongside a desired actuated air cylinder means asa coacting buffer or dashpot-like dampening means.

Double-acting (intake and exhaust type) valve means 16 and 16a areidentical in structure and operation.

In operation, when piston 12 moves to the right in FIGURE 1 andcompresses air therein, air escapes through aperture 38b in cylinder 10until piston 12 passes aperture means 33b and air therein is furthercompressed and forces ball 68 of valve means 16a upward against seatingsurface 67 of aperture 66 on cap means 62 to cut off escape of thecompressed air of valve means 16a. Likewise, as piston 12 travels to theleft in FIGURE 1 air slowly escapes through aperture means 38a and 38until cylinder means 12 passes aperture means 38 after which air thereinis further compressed which raises ball 68 from its seating surface 70of body member 56 to be positioned against seating surface 67 of capmeans 66 thereby cutting off escape of compressed air. Air is alsoentering behind cylinder means 12 through elongated apertures 72 beneathseated ball means 68 of valve means 16a to prevent a back vacuum onpiston 12 to permit smooth operation thereof. The distance of travel ofpiston 12 represents the normal reciprocating movement of piston 12 andthe distance of travel of piston 12 between aperture 38b and cylinderend means 24; and aperture 38 and cylinder end 18 during which period oftravel valve means 16a and 16, respectively, are operated, represents apurging period of buildup compressed air from cylinder means for eachextreme portion of travel of piston means 12. The slots 72 of seatingsurface means 70 are of a size to allow atmospheric air to enter or beforced externally of cylinder 10 at a desired rate as piston 12 movesbetween cylinder end means 18 and 24, depending on the desired type ofdampening reaction on a coacting actuated compressed air double-actingpiston and cylinder means mutually connected to a linkage means or thelike, which prevents non-vibrating, hunting and shock restraining meansfor a reciprocating actuated lever means and the like. The size ofaperture means 38, 38a, and 38b may be dimensioned to give a desiredbuffer or dash-pot action by air cylinder means 10 and piston means 14.

As piston 12 travels toward orifices 38, 38a, and 38b there is a smalluniform exhaust of air therefrom due to compression from piston 12.Likewise, as piston 12 travels away from orifices 38, 38a, and 38b thereis a small inlet flow of atmospheric air therein to uniquely contributeto breaking a back vacuum on piston 12 in cooperation with valve means16 and 16a.

The instant invention is further novel in that it may be used as a shockresistant and dash pot means with various types of translatedreciprocating movement mechanisms although it has been described hereinas uniquely designed for cooperating utility with a conventionaldouble-acting air cylinder.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided anew and improved double acting buffer air cylinder which accomplishesall the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantagesof great practical utility and commercial importance.

It is to be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relatesto a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated, that variousmodifications and changes may be made in the invention by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A double acting buffer air cylinder comprising a cylinder having aplurality of selected longitudinally spaced apertures therein,

means closing a first end,

an end ring having a centrally located aperture, said aperture having anannular coaxial groove in the inner periphery thereof,

4 an O-ri ngin said groove, said end ring partially closing a second endof said cylinder, 5 l 5 a piston rod extending through said centrallylocated aperture in said end ring, said piston rod being reciprocablyreceived by said aperture and in cooperating sealable relationship withsaid O-ring and said centrally located aperture, piston fixedly mountedto the internal end of said piston rod,

a double acting relief valve mounted approximately at each end of saidcylinder, said valve comprising a body member having a concentricaperture of a first diameter at an inner end which communicates with theinside of said cylinder, the diameter of said aperture being enlarged atthe outer end, the juncture of said enlarged diameter of said aperturewith said portion of said aperture having a first diameter forming afirst valve seat, said first valve seat having a plurality oflongitudinal slots therein, cap closure for said enlarged diameter endof said aperture, said cap closure having a centered opening, theinternal terminus of said centered opening forming a second valve seat,and a ball within said enlarged portion of said valve body aperture forcomating in a first position with said first valve seat to restrictinternal flow of air into said cylinder and for comating in a secondposition with said second valve seat to prevent external fiow of airfrom said cylinder.

2. A double acting buffer air cylinder in accordance with claim 1wherein said piston comprises oppositely facing flexible reverse cupmember fixedly secured to the internal end of said piston rod.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 851,999 4/1907Skellenger 137-5135 X 1,151,595 8/1915 Ingham 188-96 1,494,135 5/1924Robison et al.

2,259,021 10/ 1941 Wineman 267'-1 X 3,017,170 1/1962 Westcott 26713,062,525 11/1962 Schutmaat 2671 FOREIGN PATENTS 804,620 8/1936 France.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

w. B. WILBER, R. M. WOHLFARTH,

Assistant Examiners.

1. A DOUBLE ACTING BUFFER AIR CYLINDER COMPRISING A CYLINDER HAVING APLURALITY OF SELECTED LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APERTURES THEREIN, MEANSCLOSING A FIRST END, AND END RING HAVING A CENTRALLY LOCATED APERTURE,SAID APERTURE HAVING AN ANNULAR COAXIAL GROOVE IN THE INNER PERIPHERYTHEREOF, AN O-RING IN SAID GROOVE, SAID END RING PARTIALLY CLOSING ASECOND END OF SAID CYLINDER, A PISTON ROD EXTENDING THROUGH SAIDCENTRALLY LOCATED APERTURE IN SAID END RING, SAID PISTON ROD BEINGRECIPROCABLY RECEIVED BY SAID APERTURE AND IN COOPERATING SEALABLERELATIONSHIP WITH SAID O-RING AND SAID CENTRALLY LOCATED APERTURE, APISTON FIXEDLY MOUNTED TO THE INTERNAL END OF SAID PISTON ROD, A DOUBLEACTING RELIEF VALVE MOUNTED APPROXIMATELY AT EACH END OF SAID CYLINDER,SAID VALVE COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING A CONCENTRIC APERTURE OF AFIRST DIAMETER AT AN INNER END WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE INSIDE OFSAID CYLINDER, THE DIAMETER OF SAID APERTURE BEING ENLARGED AT THE OUTEREND, THE JUNCTURE OF SAID ENLARGED DIAMETER OF SAID APERTURE WITH SAIDPORTION OF SAID APERTURE HAVING A FIRST DIAMETER FORMING A FIRST VALVESEAT, SAID FIRST VALVE SEAT HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL SLOTSTHEREIN, A CAP CLOSURE FOR SAID ENLARGED DIAMETER END OF SAID APERTURE,SAID CAP CLOSURE HAVING A CENTERED OPENING, THE INTERNAL TERMINUS OFSAID CENTERED OPENING FORMING A SECOND VALVE SEAT, AND A BALL WITHINSAID ENLARGED PORTION OF SAID VALVE BODY APERTURE FOR COMATING IN AFIRST POSITION WITH SAID FIRST VALVE SEAT TO RESTRUCT INTERNAL FLOW OFAIR INTO SAID CYLINDER AND FOR COMATING IN A SECOND POSITION WITH SAIDSECOND VALVE SEAT TO PREVENT EXTERNAL FLOW OF AIR FROM SAID CYLINDER.